Honey Mustard Chicken Salad
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Made with the juiciest, tender honey mustard chicken, romaine, strawberries, avocado and corn. And the dressing is perfection!
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It’s starting to warm up and I’m going to fire up the grill this weekend to make the cilantro lime chicken and this honey mustard chicken. I’m not entirely sure which to make first. Probably this honey mustard variation because, hello, we have crisp romaine lettuce, fresh strawberries, velvety avocado slices, and sweet, juicy corn kernels. Oh and the salty, crispy bacon bits. Can’t forget about those.
reasons to make honey mustard chicken salad
- Super easy recipe. The salad dressing also serves as a convenient marinade for the chicken, yielding the juiciest, most tender and flavorful chicken thighs.
- Perfect for summer entertaining. With its easy make-ahead options for both the dressing and the chicken, this honey mustard chicken salad is perfect for picnics, summer cookouts, potlucks and dinner parties! Serve as a main dish, side or appetizer, guaranteed to be a huge crowd-pleaser.
- Flexible recipe. Not a fan of dark meat? Swap out the thighs for breasts or tenderloins. This recipe will work very well with any part of the chicken, whether it’s on the grill or on the stovetop (more on that below).
tips and tricks for success
- An outdoor grill is not necessary. Too cold to grill outside? A cast iron grill pan can be used to get those favorited grill marks and charred flavor.
- Prep ahead of time. Save time by making the dressing up to 1 week in advance, and prepping and dicing the strawberries and vegetables 1-2 days prior and storing them in airtight containers in the fridge.
- Cut in uniform size. Cut all of the salad ingredients in similar size pieces for a consistent bite.
- Use extra virgin olive oil. High quality extra virgin olive oil is ideal for salad dressings.
- Mix it up. Swap out the strawberries for your favorite berries such as blackberries, raspberries, blueberries or a combination, or add pine nuts, sunflower seeds, chopped pecans or slivered almonds for an added crunch.
- Use an instant-read thermometer for the most accurate results. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165°F.
- Let your meat rest. Let your chicken rest for at least 5 minutes prior to slicing and serving, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness.
more favorited salad recipes
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Honey Mustard Chicken Salad: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
Yes! The chicken can be marinated 2-6 hours ahead of time.
Yes! The dressing can be made 1 week in advance and stored in an airtight container (such as a mason jar) and placed in the fridge, letting it come to room temperature for about 15 minutes and shaking well before using.
No grill, no problem. A cast iron grill pan or a large cast iron skillet will work beautifully here, especially during those winter months when it’s too cold to grill out!
To ensure juicy, moist chicken, marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour, avoid overcooking (use an instant-read thermometer) and let it rest prior to slicing and serving.
Honey Mustard Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup whole grain Dijon mustard
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 1 head romaine, roughly chopped
- 1 ½ cups quartered strawberries
- 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup corn kernels, canned or roasted
Equipment
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together Dijon, green onions, olive oil, honey and vinegar; season with salt and pepper, to taste; set aside 1/3 of the mixture. Place remaining 2/3 of the mixture in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and reserved Dijon mixture; marinate for at least 2 hours to 6 hours, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade.
- Preheat grill to medium heat.
- Brush chicken with canola oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 10 minutes.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Drain excess fat; transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- To assemble the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl; top with chicken, bacon, strawberries, avocado and corn. Pour the Dijon dressing on top of the salad and gently toss to combine.
- Serve immediately.
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I love many of your recipes, but this is my new favorite! I love the flavor of the chicken and have served it on its own with roasted vegetables. I use three pounds of chicken thighs for the amount of marinade in your recipe. Thank you for the ongoing cooking inspiration!
This is a great favorite to have! Super versatile, for sure. Thanks so much, Jerrilee! 🙂
This was beyond amazing!!!
Winner winner chicken salad dinner!
This salad is screaming summer time! I can’t wait to try it. I especially love all the mustard seeds you have going on – yum!
My husband and I loved this. The dressing/marinade was so good! Recipe was easy to follow, and made for a great, quick dinner. Thank you!
You are so welcome, Tina!
I made this for my family. We were all skeptical about the addition of the strawberries, and were surprised to find that we all loved it. The salad was refreshing. The dressing was very good. Thank you for all the wonderful recipes you come up with! Its hard to find time to cook nightly. We visit your site regularly for ideas and are thankful for the quick and easy recipes!
Thank you so much for sharing, Caroline! The strawberries are the best, aren’t they? 🙂
Can you use regular balsamic?
For 1 tablespoon, you can substitute 1 tablespoon cider vinegar or red wine vinegar plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
Your book has the nutritional info but this on line recipe doesn’t. I was looking for the sodium information. Might you know what that is? I am excited to make it today!
Hi Kitrsten! Nutritional information is provided only for select online recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, we recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information. Hope that helps!
This was delicious!
Great!
This sounds like the perfect spring/summer salad and I can’t wait to try it! As a native Midwesterner though (Southwest Michigan, represent!) I have to warn you – we frequently get a late April blizzard that takes everyone by surprise. So maaaaybe keep the coats and gloves handy… just in case!
This looks incredibly delicious!
So many beautiful colours and flavours 🙂
Love me some honey mustard chicken!! And I love how you added the strawberries to the salad too!!
White balsamic wine vinegar? That’s a thing? Would white wine vinegar suffice?
This is a specialty vinegar best used in recipes that call for it specifically. For 1 tablespoon, you can substitute 1 tablespoon cider vinegar or red wine vinegar plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
I can do that! Thank you!!!